Arctic Explorer Cruise between Resolute and Greenland

Our journey begins in remote Resolute, a small Inuit hamlet in the north of Nunavut. It’s one of the two northernmost communities in Canada and certainly one of the coldest inhabited places on Earth. The Inuktitut name for Resolute translates to the “place with no dawn”, but, luckily for us, our early August departure will allow us to witness the Midnight Sun, as it doesn’t set there until approximately August 13th.

Resolute is a paradise for birdwatchers and wildlife lovers. The town’s surrounding islands are home to many species of birds during the nesting period and the surrounding waters of the Atlantic Ocean play host to magnificent Beluga Whales. You’re welcome to spend more time in town prior to our departure if you wish to explore this hidden gem at the edge of the known world in more depth.

For the next 12 days, our home will be the grand Ocean Endeavour cruise ship, equipped with 20 Zodiacs and able to accommodate up to 198 explorers. Aboard the ship, you’ll find all that you might need when travelling in the arctic summer: advanced navigation equipment, multiple lounges and restaurants, a top-deck observation room and all the amenities you could possibly need.

Completely still, barren, and renowned for its apocalyptic landscape, Beechey Island is famous as the last spot that John Franklin visited during his ill-fated expedition in search of the Northwest Passage in 1846. This windswept island is the perfect starting point for most expeditions to the Arctic, as its flat beach is ideal for landing an aircraft and its tabletop hill provides shelter from the harsh polar weather.

Beechey Island will be our first stop and highlight of the second day. Here, three of Franklin’s men, froze to their deaths and their crew built three graves to commemorate their memory. None of the crew did return from this terrible voyage and their final resting places were never found. The fourth grave visible on the beach was built in memory of Thomas Morgan, an unlucky sailor on the rescue mission that set out a few years later to discover what happened to the expedition.

Recently, marine archaeologists discovered that the crew abandoned their ship after it became icebound not far from the shores of Beechey Island. It’s estimated that around 40 men managed to survive the shipwreck--but not for long. Traces of starvation and cannibalism were also found around the island.

The island is very popular amongst scientists and researchers to this day, and even you will have a chance to follow in the footsteps of an almost 200-year-old expedition.

Tallurutiup Imanga

We will spend four days exploring Tallurutiup Imanga (Lancaster Sound), one of Canada's newest National Marine Conservation Areas. Narwhal, beluga, and bowhead whales transit and feed in this area. We’ll cruise by ship and Zodiac in search of wildlife.

We’ll visit a number of bays – hiking the tundra, discovering the botany, cruising a glacier face, and wildlife spotting from ship and from shore. Once home to Inuit and their ancestors, we will visit archaeological sites with expert interpretation to learn about the human history of this now-abandoned island. We’ll also catch a glimpse of recent human history as we visit the remains of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Hudson's Bay Company site at Dundas Harbour.\

Devon Island

On the northern border of Tallurutiup Imanga lies Devon Island, the largest uninhabited island on Earth at over fifty thousand square kilometers. Its slight elevation, extreme weathers, and scarcity of simply everything you’d expect to find on a habitable island have made this plot of land impossible to live in. Although some Inuit families migrated there and attempted to make it in 1934, they were unsuccessful and had left by 1936.

The island is a playground for a number of scientific research projects because of its Martian-like terrain. Scientists and journalists conduct research there to simulate what life would be like on Mars, as it’s believed to provide the closest possible conditions to the Red Planet.

Around 39 million years ago, a 1.2-mi (2-km) wide meteorite hit Devon Island, creating a 14-mi (23-km) wide pit. The island, once teeming with life, trees, and a large lake, was reduced to rubble and now is covered in nothing but Precambrian gneiss and Paleozoic siltstones and shales.

Mittimatalik is a busy Arctic community in a beautiful setting. The views of nearby Bylot Island are stunning. We will have a chance to explore the town. The cultural presentation at the Community Hall is not to be missed—arts and crafts may be available here, too.

Our onboard presentation series will continue as we steam across the Davis Strait towards Greenland. Our expedition team will deepen your understanding of the Arctic as we go! This is an excellent time to enjoy workshops and group learning, watch a documentary, or dive into our library.

While out on deck, keep your binoculars ready for minke and humpback whales amid potential pack ice, as well as the seabirds that are sure to mark our passage.

Ilulissat is the third largest city in Greenland, located 217 mi (350 km) north of the Arctic Circle. The city is famous for having almost as many sled dogs as people - dog sleds are one of the main means of transportation in the area. Ilulissat’s Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has turned the city into the most popular tourist destination in Greenland.

Our visit will include time in the colorful town and a chance to hike to an elevated viewpoint where we’ll be able to observe the mighty mountains of ice.

We’ll also cruise in our fleet of zodiacs around the Ilulissat Icefjord. All the icebergs in the water calve off from nearby Sermeq Kujalleq Glacier, one of the most active and fastest moving glaciers in the world. The glacier moves about 63 feet (19 meters) per day and carves more than 21 sq mi (35 sq km) of ice annually.

People have lived in the Sisimiut area for 4,500 years. For the first 2,000 years, the people of the Saqqaq culture occupied the area. Approx. 2,500 years ago, new people brought the Dorset culture to the Sisimiut area. They lived here for 1,500 years and were followed by the people of the Thule culture—the ancestors of the current population. A

ll these cultures came from Canada. The people primarily lived on fish, birds and mammals such as whales and seals. The ice-free conditions in the sea around Sisimiut, including some of Greenland’s deepest fjords, allow us to sail in waters that are home to many whales and seals.

Kangerlussuaq was founded in 1941 by the U.S. Military. Even though the settlement is quite young, the fjords and ice caps surrounding it have been there long before a human foot ever stepped on the ground. Its geographical location, fairly stable weather, and easy air travel has made it very popular with tourists and locals alike. Kangerlussuaq is also home to some of the most diverse flora and fauna in Greenland, including muskoxen, caribou, and gyrfalcons.

Greenland’s Glacier is easily accessible from Kangerlussuaq, it’s only 12-mi (25-km) drive on a dirt road. Lying at the head of the longest fjord in Greenland, approximately 104 mi (168 km) long, Kangerlussuaq is where our voyage across the Arctic will finish.

After we disembark, you can explore the city a bit more or board your flight home.

Our vessel for this voyage is the Ocean Endeavour. A 1B ice-class sailing boat that holds a maximum of 198 passengers and is outfitted with 20 Zodiac boats, making it perfect for expedition cruises. Facilities include a top deck observation room, swimming pool, outdoor dining area, sauna/spa, library, and top-class navigation equipment.

Our three onboard lounges are excellent public spaces for our educational seminars, workshops, and entertainment. Launched in 1982, she’s been upgraded many times, most recently in 2010 and 2014. At 137-m (450 ft) in length and 21-m (69 ft) in breadth, the Ocean Endeavour is the pride of our cruises in Canada and beyond.

More about the Ocean Endeavour. 

No Single Supplement! Solo Adventurers are welcome. Most cabin categories on the ship are available as private cabins to single travelers at no additional cost.
Temperatures run around 8-15° Celsius (46-60° Fahrenheit) on average. That said, guests have been known to enjoy a day of shorts and t-shirts in the Canadian Arctic! Do note that temperatures can fall below zero (especially at night) and snowfall could happen at any time.

Please Note:

This program features activities such as walking, wildlife viewing, and Zodiac cruising, all at a relatively easy to moderate level of exertion. The majority of shore landings are undertaken using Zodiacs. Zodiac embarkations involve descending gangway stairs with double handrails and stepping into the Zodiac from a small platform at water level (assistance is provided).